There was the buzzsaw the Wolverines ran into at Iowa State, who treated a November non-league game like a title bout.

There was a buzzer-beater tip-in loss to Charlotte. And a stuck-in-the-mud loss at raucous Duke.

And then there was Saturday. Where Michigan outplayed the No. 1 team in America for the better part of 30 minutes, but still fell short, falling 72-70 to Arizona.

It's Dec. 15. Michigan's season is 10 games old and the Wolverines already have four losses. And they really don't have one super quality victory yet.

This isn't the way the Wolverines were supposed to start after advancing to the national title game just eight months ago. But here it is.

Still, this team has been through a few rough spots before. And while this is another one, Michigan isn't ready to hit the panic button.

Not even remotely.

"I don't think anyone on this team's worried," Michigan sophomore forward Nik Stauskas said. "If you look at our losses right now. Duke we were there down the stretch, (vs. Arizona) we were right there. At Iowa State we were right there, Charlotte, we were right there.

"It's just a matter of closing out games. ... But as far as being worried, I don't think anyone is."

Michigan went through stretches like this last season, for those who remember the entire journey.

Most recall the team's 16-0 start and magical run to the tournament. But if anyone is forgetting how January and February treated this team ... then they're just not paying attention.

The core of this team -- Mitch McGary, Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III and Caris LeVert -- were all present for that buzzer-beater loss at Wisconsin.

They were all there when Michigan gagged at Penn State. When it blew a lead late at home against Indiana. When it was bludgeoned at Michigan State.

As far as tough losses go, this isn't Michigan's first rodeo.

"We're still connected, but they're down (right now) because we practiced really hard and we want to see results," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "We have to just continue to understand the little things.

"The devil's in the details. ... I told the guys, if this was two weeks ago and this was Duke here or somebody else, we don't play until the last possession. We weren't ready for that at the time. We're getting better, but we (almost) had to play the perfect game (today) to beat Arizona."

At some point, though, this team does have to wake up.

It can't allow an opponent to grab 17 offensive rebounds, as Arizona did. It can't play flat fore more than a half, as it did at Duke.

It can't wilt down the stretch on the road, like it did at Iowa State.

And it can't play down to opponents, as it did against Charlotte.

This is still one of the youngest teams in America in terms of actual age. But, in terms of experience, Michigan has players who have been through a few fires.

Consistency, though, is the key.

There were stretches Saturday where Michigan looked like a team that could compete for a Big Ten title this season.

And then there were stretches where Michigan looked like a team that might struggle to make the NCAA tournament.

The happy medium hasn't been there. And, for Michigan, that has to change.

"This team hasn't even come close to reaching its ceiling," Stauskas said. "We've got a long way to go.